By Ruth aka Kattaddorra
Following my earlier article: The Santa Paws Foundation…I was wondering how everyone is getting on with filling their boxes.
Babz and I have just realised with a shock how close Christmas is now and although we had the empty boxes ready that’s as far as we got!
So, today with the help of Walter and Jozef as Babz is at work, I made a start and covered the boxes with pretty paper.
Then we looked in their toy box and found quite a lot of brand new unused toys, our cats seem to prefer their well chewed tatty old toys lol
So with their permission I put them aside. We then tackled their food cupboard and sorted out the sachets and trays they’ve gone off eating, we all know how choosy cats can be and how they can suddenly decide they don’t like a brand, or a flavour, after all.
Babz and I have planned and budgeted for this month’s coming pay day, the last before Christmas, to buy some big tins of cat food to fill the boxes, we’ve been researching where to get the most for our money.
Our Cats Protection branch and Kays Hill cattery will no doubt appreciate the food and now today I heard that Ark on the Edge are struggling with lots of cats too, so we feel that we must try to help them also.
What is it with so many people relinquishing their cats? How does their conscience let them do that? Do they not give a thought to the struggling Rescue Shelters having more and more mouths to feed?
I couldn’t sit and eat my Christmas dinner if I thought our cats were sitting in a Shelter wondering why they had lost their home and family. I’d move Heaven and Earth to keep our cats where they belong.
On a brighter note, Walter and Jozef said they’d sing a little ditty for the poster:
‘We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New Year’
But I used bit of poetic licence when I suddenly remembered as a small child longing for a cat of my own,I always sang the last line of that as:
‘And I hope your cats purr’
Crazy cat child and now crazy cat woman lol
It was a great idea and I did just the one big box that they could all share 🙂 Yours look lovely 🙂
Here they are Dee, when you see them together they’re not really alike at all
Babz and I are buying each other half a new camera each for Christmas lol we’ve worn the poor old one out taking so many pics of our gorgeous boyz
They’re such canny little chaps, they had a good play with them and now they’re both upstairs with me, Walter in my computer chair and Jozef on my bed, both snoring and moaning with warmness.
Do you have a pic of both, Jozef and Walter, together? I have a hard time telling them apart.
We’ve had a lovely day, we went to buy the Christmas box cat food for CP, Kays Hill and the Ark and got good value for our money because of Babz getting staff discount from their grocery part. When we got back Walt and Jo’s Christmas prezzies had arrived, a neighbour had taken them in for us, a new scratching couch each. Of course they couldn’t wait until Christmas for them, but it’s lovely seeing them enjoying them now.
Then we boxed up the cat food and stuff, nearly ready now!
they look like they have been professionally packed, have you two done this before? lol
Once or twice…LOL
So neat and pretty.
I wish I had a decent camera to film mine. Not nearly as spectacular; but, I know they will be appreciated.
Who crochets and knits? I used to but no time now.
It all just feels good, doesn’t it?
Two elderly ladies make the blankets and take in to Babz, there were three but sadly Stella died this year, she was Marion’s (Cats Protection) husband’s auntie, a lovely lady, she used to come to our charity Coffee Mornings too, we all miss her. Also a neighbour’s elderly mother knits 4 inch squares by the dozen lol and Babz has the task of stitching them together. I’m a terrible sewer is my excuse lol It makes the knitters feel useful and it’s much appreciated of course by the Sanctuaries especially now in the cold weather.
Yes it feels very good, I know it’s said you have to be able to receive as well as to give and if we ever receive we are grateful but there’s nothing as satisfying as the feeling of giving, of sharing what you have, is there 🙂 Dee I’m sure your boxes are lovely and will be much appreciated, I very much admire you for making so many.
I got a Christmas box myself from the inner city school where I teach music. It was donated by an organization that helps the poor. When you teach at an inner city school lots of places that give things to the poor and homeless give them to you as well. Actually, it was a Thanksgiving box. I will probably get another at Christmas. It had a lot of goodies in there including apple juice, canned yams, a box cake mix and a tub of frosting, canned veggies and little tracts asking if I’ve met Jesus yet. I pulled everything out and gave the box to Monty to play in. He was not much interested. Perhaps I’ll fill it up again with cat things and take it over to The Cat Network. I felt kind of bad to take it since on the days I don’t teach I work in physical therapy for twice what teachers make per hour. But now I have that nice box and I haven’t visited The Cat Network in ages.
It’s not me Dee, yes I plant the seeds but it’s the good folks of Shildon who do the good work in bringing all this stuff to me, it’s only a small town but the people in it have huge hearts. A trolley is a shopping bag on wheels, mine, Edith is her name :-)has been a boon for transferring things from work to the car (she even managed to carry 3×18″ square paving slabs earlier this year which is what I think did for her really). So with the last lot of goods for Kays Hill she went off up there for her retirement as I’d been lucky enough to find another one at the Church Xmas fare. This is Edith in the photo and I’d like to wish her a long and happy retirement.
Edith the trolley. That is just so very British, but I love it. If I ever get caught up on bills and actually have some money I’d love to visit England. I would love to meet Jozef and Walter and Charlie! Oh, yeah, and some humans I know there as well. Last year my friend and I even tried our hands at making scones. Until my husband came home and improved upon our recipe.
This made me LOL.
The trolley is very British. I don’t have one! Normally it is the more senior and wiser ladies who have these trolleys. They are very useful and environmentally friendly.
My home, which is in London is free for anyone who is part of the PoC community to use. You’ll get Champagne on arrival and taxied from the airport etc.
It is very well situated, as Richmond – the holiday resort of royalty in days gone by – is a 12 minute bus ride away. Richmond is a very pleasant and English place.
you’re right Michael, trolleys are very british! my mam has one and she once asked me to help her with her xmas shopping, using the trolley I was promised, it would be easy. only one snag, my mother dosnt know when to stop and only when she had approx. 4 times more than the trolley could possibly hold did she finally think about how we would get home. the plan had been to walk from the town, about three miles, not too bad normally but when your trying to lug your mothers ridiculous amount of shopping home, believe me it feels like much further. I have never trusted her since!! lol
Be gentle with our Edith Leanne
you don’t want me to hand her over to my mam, the amount of stuff she can cram into them!!
She’s used to that! That’s why she’s down on her uppers, in the summer she carried some patio stones, ever since she’s dragged her backside on her wheels a bit and wanted to fall over. Hope she can lead a useful retirement LOL
This senior lady has been glad of Edith many a time though I wouldn’t actually take her shopping (yet) BUT my dear sis Ruth AKA hates her and won’t pull her for love or money,so she mustn’t be senior enough in her outlook yet 🙂
Yes well when I did push her once, her wheel fell off! She didn’t like me lol OK yes I pushed instead of pulling…but still……
It would be a laugh a minute Ruth if all the POCers met up, we’d hardly understand each other likely. 🙂
I love Edith. She is so useful and she loves to keep the environment unpolluted (no plastic bags needed).
Trolley – I like that. As you describe, we would call it a shopping bag on wheels.
I’ve learned so may terms here that I never knew before.
I used to only know a few from my London friend and am not even sure that I have the spelling correct, ie. randy (lol) and teli.